Why did the roman empire fall, and what is its legacy? Rome and Christianity Why did the roman empire fall, and what is its legacy?

From Republic to Empire The Big Idea After changing from a republic to an empire, Rome grew politically and economically and developed a culture that influenced later civilizations. Main Ideas Disorder in the Roman Republic created an opportunity for Julius Caesar to gain power. The republic ended when Augustus became Rome’s first emperor. The Roman Empire grew to control the entire Mediterranean world.

What ADVICE will you give your friend? If YOU were there ... You are the friend of a famous Roman Senator. Your friend is worried about the growing power of military men in Rome’s government. Some other Senators want to take violent action to stop generals from taking over as dictators. Your friend wants your advice: Is violence justified to save the Roman Republic? What ADVICE will you give your friend?

Disorder in the Roman Republic Many people became unhappy and were unemployed when chaos emerged in Rome’s government. People rioted in the streets, while people from around the republic flooded the city. An orator and philosopher named Cicero called for change but was unsuccessful. He wanted to limit the power of generals and restore checks and balances on government.

Julius Caesar Rises to Power Caesar, a very powerful general, formed a partnership with Pompey and Crassus. The three ruled Rome for about 10 years. Because Caesar was so popular, Pompey became jealous. This sparked a war between them that ended in Pompey’s death. Caesar named himself dictator. Many people resented the way Caesar gained power. Senators did not like that he reduced their power. A group of senators led by Brutus killed Caesar because they feared him becoming king.

End of the Republic Marc Antony and Octavian avenged Caesar’s death by attacking his killers. Caesar’s murderers were either killed or killed themselves. Octavian returned to Italy. Antony married Cleopatra after divorcing Octavian’s sister. The divorce led to a civil war between Antony and Octavian. Antony and Cleopatra killed themselves, making Augustus (formerly called Octavian) the sole ruler. This marked the beginning of the Roman Empire. Octavian Augustus Marc Antony

The Growth of the Roman Empire Rome had many reasons for expansion. It wanted to control hostile neighbors. It wanted more resources. Some emperors liked fighting. Under Emperor Claudius, Romans conquered most of the island of Britain. They also controlled Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, and the North African coast.

Trade increased in Rome People in Rome needed raw materials that they couldn’t produce themselves. This led merchants to Rome’s provinces to trade. To pay for their goods, Romans used currency, which included silver and gold coins. Nearly everyone accepted Roman coins. This helped trade grow. The first 200 years of the Roman Empire was peaceful and prosperous. It was called the Pax Romana, or Roman peace.

Science and Engineering The Romans tried to find knowledge that could improve their lives. Medicine Calendars Better farming methods Their practical approach to engineering can be seen in their use of cement, layered roads, and arches. Arches support much heavier weight because of their rounded shape. The Romans created aqueducts to carry water from the mountains to the cities. They combined arches to form a vault, a set of arches that supports the roof of a building.

Roman Architecture and Art Roman architecture was based largely on older Greek designs, such as columns and the use of marble. They moved beyond the Greeks with their use of vaults, which were used in the Colosseum, and domes. Artists were known for mosaics, paintings, and statues. Mosaics and painting were used to decorate buildings. Most Roman paintings were frescoes, a type of painting done on plaster. Romans tried to re-create Greek statues.

Art The artists of the Roman Empire were known for their mosaics and paintings, done mostly on wet plaster and called frescoes. They were also skilled at creating portraits, or pictures of people. Roman sculptors were also talented, but they mostly copied statues from older Greek works. These copies helped provide information about Greek masterpieces, however.

Roman Literature and Language Rome was home to many of the greatest authors of the ancient world, such as Virgil and Ovid. Romans excelled at mythology, histories, speeches, and drama. Writers used Latin, the language of Rome. Latin developed into many different languages, called the Romance languages.

Roman Law Roman law serves as a model for modern law codes around the world. Roman law was enforced throughout Europe and still existed after the empire fell apart. Roman law inspired a system called civil law, which is a legal system based on written codes of law. Most European countries today have civil-law traditions.

The Roman Empire and Religion The Big Idea People in the Roman Empire practiced many religions before Christianity, based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, spread and became Rome’s official religion. Main Ideas Despite its general religious tolerance, Rome came into conflict with the Jews. A new religion, Christianity, grew out of Judaism. Many considered Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah. Christianity grew in popularity and eventually became the official religion of Rome.

What will you DO about this group? If YOU were there ... You are a Roman soldier stationed in one of the empire’s provinces. You are proud that you’ve helped bring Roman culture to this place far from the city of Rome. But one group of local people refuses to take part in official Roman holidays and rituals, saying it is against their beliefs. Other than that, they seem peaceful. But some soldiers think this group is dangerous. What will you DO about this group?

Religious Tolerance & Conflicts Romans worshipped many gods Romans were accepting of the gods of the people that they conquered They were not sure which gods existed and which did not, so to avoid offending the ones that did exist, they prayed to a wide range of gods and goddesses. The Romans would ban a religion if it was considered to be a political problem.

Jews and Romans Clash Religious Reasons The Romans worshipped many gods, whereas the Jews had only one God. Some Romans thought the Jews were insulting their gods by worshipping only one God. Political Reasons Treated harshly and taxed heavily. Emperor Hadrian banned the practice of some rituals in the hope of ending the desire for independence. The Jews rebelled again, so Hadrian destroyed Jerusalem and forced the Jews out after the Romans built over it.

A New Religion, Christianity Before the Jews rebelled, a new religion appeared in Judea. This religion was based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It was rooted in Jewish ideas and traditions.

The Messiah Messiah means “anointed” in Hebrew. The Jews believed that the Messiah would be chosen by God to lead them. The Jews believed that if they followed the laws closely, a descendant of King David would come to restore the kingdom. A prophet named John the Baptist announced that this leader, the Messiah, was coming soon.

Jesus of Nazareth The limited knowledge about Jesus’s life is contained in the Bible, the holy book of Christianity. The Bible is made up of two parts. The Old Testament tells the history and ideas of the Hebrew people. The New Testament tells about the life and teachings of Jesus.

The Crucifixion and Resurrection His teachings challenged the authority of political and religious leaders, who arrested him. He was tried and executed by crucifixion, a type of execution in which a person was nailed to a cross. According to Christians, Jesus rose from the dead, something they called the Resurrection. After the Resurrection, several groups of Jesus’s disciples, or followers, claimed to see him again. Some people called him Jesus Christ, which is how the words Christians and Christianity eventually developed. Christ comes from Christos, the Greek word for Messiah.

The Teachings of Jesus Much of Jesus’s message was rooted in older Jewish traditions: Love God Love other people He taught that people who were saved from sin would enter the kingdom of God when they died. He told people how to live in order to reach the kingdom. Over the centuries since Jesus lived, people have interpreted his teachings differently, creating denominations of Christians.

The Spread of Jesus’s Teachings Jesus chose people to pass along his teachings. 12 Apostles They were Jesus’s closest followers during his lifetime. Peter became leader of the group after Jesus died. The writers of the Gospels were Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Gospels provided information about Jesus’s life Saint Paul would spread Christianity throughout Roman Empire, explained Jesus’s teachings, and separated Christianity from Judaism

Growth of Christianity Christians spread their beliefs throughout the Roman Empire but were challenged at times. They distributed parts of Jesus’s message, including the Gospels. Within a hundred years after Jesus’s death, thousands of Christians lived in the Roman Empire. Some people were arrested and killed for their religious beliefs.

Persecution To prevent unrest in the empire, some emperors banned Christianity, leading to periods of persecution. Persecution means punishing a group because of its beliefs Christians were often forced to meet in secret. In the early 300s the emperor Constantine became a Christian and removed the ban on the religion.

The End of the Empire The Big Idea Problems from both inside and outside caused the Roman Empire to split into a western half, which collapsed, and an eastern half that prospered for hundreds of years. Main Ideas Many problems threatened the Roman Empire, leading one emperor to divide it in half. Rome declined as a result of invasions and political and economic problems. In the eastern empire, people created a new society and religious traditions that were very different from those in the west.

Problems Threatened the Roman Empire At its height the Roman Empire included all the land around the Mediterranean Sea. The empire became too large to defend or govern efficiently. Emperor Diocletian divided the empire to make it more manageable because too big for one person to rule.

Problems in the Empire Emperors gave up territory because they feared the empire had become too large. Because so many people were needed for the army, no one was left to farm the land. Disease and high taxes threatened Rome’s survival.

Division of the Empire Emperor Constantine reunited the two halves shortly after he took power. He moved the capital east, into what is now Turkey. The new capital was called Constantinople. Power no longer resided in Rome.

The Decline of Rome In the late 300s, a group called the Huns invaded Europe. They were from Central Asia. The Goths fled from the Huns into Rome. They moved into western Roman territory. Additional attacks by more invaders made the empire weak.

The Sacking of Rome The Huns pushed a group called the Goths into Rome. The Visigoths destroyed Rome after Rome quit paying them not to attack. The Goths sacked, or destroyed, Rome in 410.

The Empire in Chaos The Goths’ victory encouraged other groups to invade the western half of the empire. The Vandals invaded Spain, crossed into northern Africa, and destroyed Roman settlements. Led by Attila, the Huns raided most of the Roman territory in the east. Roman emperors became weak, and military leaders took power. They did not protect the empire, however. A Barbarian general overthrew the last weak emperor in Rome and named himself king in 476. This event is considered the end of the western Roman Empire.

Factors in Rome’s Fall The large size of the empire made it hard to govern. Barbarian invasions weakened the empire. Corruption, or the decay of people’s values, in politics led to inefficiency in government. Bribes and threats were used to achieve goals. Wealthy citizens began to leave Rome, making life more difficult for those who remained.

Eastern Empire The eastern empire grew in wealth and power. People created a new society that was different from society in the west.

Justinian Justinian wanted to reunite the old Roman Empire. He conquered Italy and much land around the Mediterranean. He examined Rome’s laws and organized them into a legal system called the Justinianic Code. Removed out-of-date and unchristian laws Simplified Roman law to give fair treatment to all He made two enemies who would have run him out of Constantinople if his wife, Theodora, had not convinced him to stay. Theodora was smart and powerful, and she advised Justinian on how to end the riots.

The Empire after Justinian After his death, the eastern Roman Empire began to decline. Later emperors lost all the land Justinian had gained. In 1453 a group called the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople and ended the eastern Roman Empire. The 1,000-year history of the eastern Roman Empire came to an end.

The Eastern Empire Created a New Society Eastern society was called the Byzantine Empire. Eastern people studied Greek, not Latin. People in the east and west began to interpret elements of Christianity differently. Eastern priests could get married, but western priests could not. Religious services were performed in Greek in the east and in Latin in the west. The east broke away from the west and formed the Eastern Orthodox Church.